Box construction



April 3, 1934. I J. F. MAURER, JR 1,953,763

I BOX CQNSTRUCTIQN Filed May 17, 1953 1 Ja/azft'fl/aarerfi N V E N TO R BY gMiW ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOX CONSTRUCTION John F. Maurer, Jr., North Bergen, N. J Application May 17, 1933, Serial No. 671,477 2 Claims. (01. 217-49) This invention relates to bottle crates or cases of the type set forth in my prior United States Letters Patent, No. 1,885,748, granted November 1, 1932, and has particular reference to an improvement thereover by virtue of which provision is made for facilitating the release of the corner units from the side and end members of the crate or case when, for any reason, it may be necessary to disassemble the same.

More specifically the invention resides in the provision of notches formed in the corner units which notches are so located with reference to the locking tongues and grooves as to facilitate the introduction of a suitable tool or implement for effecting the springing out and release of the tongues from the grooves.

The invention further comprehends an improvement of the indicated character which neither materially adds to the expense of production of the corner unit nor weakens the construction thereof to any appreciable extent while increasing to a marked degree, the general efficiency of the corner unit.

Other features of the invention will be more readily appreciated from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, while the claims mark out and define the actual scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of a bottle crate or case equipped with a corner unit embodying the improvement.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the locking tongue is sprung to release position by a tool or implement.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, A and B designate two adjacent walls of a crate or case, which walls may be made up of a number of separate slats, as shown, or otherwise constructed. The corner unit designated generally by reference C, is of hollow construction and includes angularly disposed hollow Wing portions indicated by the reference characters D and E, in which the ends of the adjacent walls A and B are embracingly received. In order to retain the wall ends within the wing portions of the corner unit, the em braced ends are provided with vertical grooves on the outer side faces thereof while the wings are slitted to define locking tongues F, which are instruck and engage within the vertically grooved side faces of the wall ends. This is substantially the construction shown in the prior patent above referred to.

The present invention resides in the provision of means for facilitating the release of the locking tongues which as shown, consists of a notch 5, which is located intermediate the edge 6, formed or defined as a result of the slitting of the material to produce the tongue F, so as to locate the notch with reference to the tongue and groove whereby the notch affords a convenient means to allow for the insertion of a tool in order to pry the tongue outwardly to a release position when for any reason it is necessary to disassemble the crate or case. It will also be appreciated that the opposite side edges '7 of the notch serve in the capacity of guides to properly position and maintain the tool in a central relation with reference to the width of the tongue while the complete notch serves as a confined fulcrum for the tool during the prying operation. Due to the restricted size of the notch it is clearly apparent that the construction of the corner unit is not materially weakened, while it is further evident that the provision of the notches 5 does not appreciably increase the cost of production of the corner unit.

By providing the notches 5 of such a relatively restricted size with respect to the tongue, mutilation of the wing or tongue is avoided and the slight mutilation of the box wall groove which is caused, does not interfere with the effective locking of the tongue with the remaining unmutilated portion of the groove when the edge of the tongue is reengaged upon reassembly of the crate or case.

While there has been disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, no limitation is intended to the precise structural details as variations and modifications which properly fall within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a structure which includes a grooved member and a second member having an instruck tongue out and formed from the material thereof and having locking engagement with the groove of the first member, means for facilitating the prying of the tongue to a release position, said means consisting of an edge of the material of the second member left by the cutting of the tongue, which edge is formed with a re cession.

2. In a structure which includes a grooved member and a second member having an instruck tongue out and formed from the material thereof and having locking engagement with the groove of the first member, means for facilitating the prying of the tongue to a release position, said means consisting of an edge of the material of the second member left by the cutting of the tongue, which edge is formed with a recession located intermediate the length of the edge.

' JOHN F. MAURER, JR. 

